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2 Things That Help Me When I’m In Pain

2020-01-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 3:1-26.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-26:  Job is now in emotional, physical and spiritual anguish, so much so that he curses the day he was born.  In our culture we tend to celebrate people on their birthday.  In cursing the day of his birth, Job was basically saying, “After all the trouble and pain I have experienced, I wish I had never lived.  I wish I could die right now.”  If I had to break it down even more, verses 1 to 20 are Job asking the question, “Why did I have to live?” while verses 21 to 26 are Job asking the question, “Why can’t I die right now?”   For Job, death seems to be the only rest he can look forward to (v13-19).

What can we learn from all this?

Notice that Job finally opens up after 7 days of sitting in silence with his friends (see Job 2:13).  Imagine if Job’s friends had given up on the 6th day and said, “Job’s never going to talk.  Let’s just go.”  It shows that when a person is in great pain, you need to give them time to open up.  Also, when they finally do open up, don’t be surprised if their words are difficult to hear. 

The Worst Thing and the Best Thing You Can Do For a Friend In Pain

2020-01-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  In chapter 1, Job passed his first test with flying colours.  Now a second test is coming.  God continues to boast of Job’s steadfast faith in Him, while Satan believes that if Job’s own health is taken away, Job will turn away from God and curse Him.  So, with the Lord’s permission, Satan afflicts Job with painful sores from head to toe all over his body.  The closest thing Job experiences to relief is scraping himself with a piece of broken pottery (v8).

What can we learn from this?  God has a good purpose in allowing sickness.  Once Jesus and his disciples met a blind man.  The disciples asked Jesus, “Who sinned – this blind man or his parents – to cause him to be blind?”  Jesus said, “Neither, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:3).  Then Jesus would go on to heal the man’s blindness in a most interesting and gradual way.  Though sickness is not God’s original plan for us, I believe God allows sickness and disease ultimately so that we would learn to trust Him and so that in His time He can display His redeeming, healing, resurrecting work in our lives.

诗篇一百十九篇145-152节

2020-01-02 in /by

ק Qoph（第19段）

145耶和华啊，我一心呼吁祢，求祢应允我，我必谨守祢的律例。
146我向祢呼吁，求祢救我，我要遵守祢的法度。
147我趁天未亮呼求，我仰望了祢的言语。
148我趁夜更未换，将眼睁开，为要思想祢的话语。
149求祢照祢的慈爱听我的声音，耶和华啊，求祢照祢的典章将我救活。
150追求奸恶的人临近了，他们远离祢的律法。
151耶和华啊，祢与我相近，祢一切的命令尽都真实。
152我因学祢的法度，久已知道是祢永远立定的。

在2020年的年初三，我们来看看可以从神的话语里得到怎样的提醒。这段经文若用英文来看，我们很快就会有感受了，我来列出几句经文的前一小节：

I call out at the top of my lungs,我一心呼吁祢
I called to you, “Save me 我向祢呼吁，求祢救我
I was up before sunrise, 我趁天未亮呼求
I stayed awake all night, 我趁夜更未换，将眼睁开

这些经文让我们看到大卫和神的关系，还有大卫的行动(action)。你平常会向谁呼求？你半夜时会想起谁呢？在新年之际，我们看到有很多人天未亮就去庙前排队，为了想取得头香，拿到发财签；甚至也有人当黄牛去排队，这些人为的都是钱，除了钱之外，还有什么可以让你心动到天未亮就起来？夜更未换就将眼睁开？

诗篇一百十九篇137-144节

2020-01-02 in /by

ץ Tsadde（第18段）

137耶和华啊，祢是公义的，祢的判语也是正直的。
138祢所命定的法度是凭公义和至诚。
139我心焦急，如同火烧，因我敌人忘记祢的言语。
140祢的话极其精炼，所以祢的仆人喜爱。
141我微小被人藐视，却不忘记祢的训词。
142祢的公义永远长存，祢的律法尽都真实。
143我遭遇患难愁苦，祢的命令却是我所喜爱的。
144祢的法度永远是公义的，求祢赐我悟性，我就活了。

新年2020的第二天，我们还是希望新酒装在新皮袋里，能有一个崭新的人生。有人说：如果连你自己都不喜欢你自己，你就不会对你自己很好，因为我们通常不会对不喜欢的人太好。所以你不喜欢你自己，你就不会做对自己有帮助的事情，你同意吗？

那怎样才能喜欢自己，对自己好，做对自己有帮助的事呢？

作者大卫在这段经文里讲到他微小被人藐视，大卫的身才材确实不是又高又有型的。在博物馆里，大卫王年轻时的雕像都是比较矮小的。现在的男孩子若长得矮小一点，上学有时会被欺负，被覇凌。大卫说到，他也是因为微小，所以被人渺视。

你有没有被人渺视的经历呢？大卫被人渺视，遭遇患难愁苦，但是他懂得抓紧神的话，紧紧地倚靠神。

In Your Pain, Surrender to God

2020-01-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 1:13-22.  Let’s go!

On verses 13-22:  In one day, four messengers come to Job, one after another, each delivering horrifying news: Sabeans attack and carry off Job’s donkeys and oxen (v13-15), fire from God (possibly lightning) falls and destroys his sheep (v16), Chaldeans attack and steal Job’s camels (v17), and by far most tragically of all, a hurricane-like wind causes the house in which Job’s children are partying to collapse, killing all of Job’s children (v18-19).  Notice that in two cases, the loss came as a result of attacks by people.  In the other two cases, the loss came as a result of “an act of God”.

In response, Job tears his robe and shaves his head in mourning.  Rather than cursing God or accusing God with wrongdoing (v22), Job falls to the ground in worship and speaks some of the most famous words in the book of Job:

Job 1:21 (NIV) 
21  …”Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
 

诗篇一百十九篇129-136节

2019-12-31 in , /by

Pe（第17段）

129祢的法度奇妙，所以我一心谨守。
130祢的言语一解开，就发出亮光，使愚人通达。
131我张口而气喘，因我切慕祢的命令。
132求祢转向我，怜悯我，好像祢素常待那些爱祢名的人。
133求祢用祢的话使我脚步稳当，不许什么罪孽辖制我。
134求祢救我脱离人的欺压，我要遵守祢的训词。
135求祢用脸光照仆人，又将祢的律例教训我。
136我的眼泪下流成河，因为他们不守祢的律法。

在2020年的第一天，我们可以用这句经文作为开始，何等美好: 「祢的法度奇妙，所以我一心谨守。」在新年的第一天，我们若能认定今年要持守神的话语，我相信这便是一个非常美好的开始。

因为「祢的言语一解开，就发出亮光，使愚人通达。」神的话语一解开，就能使我们的愚钝变通达，有智慧啦! 你希望在今年的一开始就成为一个有智慧的人吗？

当我们切慕神的话语时，神就转向我们，怜悯我们。

神的话使我们的脚步稳当，别人不能用罪孽辖制我们。很多人被逼着去干坏事或做自己不愿意做的事，是因为有把柄落到人家手里，不得不被辖制，神的话可以保守我们，远离恶人恶事的辖制,得有真正的平安。

3 Reasons God Tests You

2019-12-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Job.  It tells one of the most famous stories in the Bible about a man who experiences incredible suffering and loss despite being a seemingly moral and upright man.  It deals head on with the question “how could a loving God allow people to suffer?”  In terms of date, a good argument can be made that when you consider the names, cultural references and the lack of any mention of Mosaic law or Jewish transitions in the book of Job, a good argument can be made that the book of Job was written around or before 2000 B.C., relatively close to the time of the Old Testament patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).  The book of Job is likely one of the oldest books in the Bible.

Some have suggested that Job himself wrote the book, but the fact is that very little is known about the human author who wrote the book of Job.  Still the book of Job has been heralded as one of the greatest literary works of ancient or modern times.  Believing the Holy Spirit inspired its writing, we will look into the book of Job and find valuable lessons for us today.

Today’s passage is Job 1:1-12.  Let’s go!

The Key to Praying Powerful Prayers

2019-12-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is James 5:12-20.  Let’s go!

James 5:12 (NIV) 
12  Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes, and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned.

On verse 12:  Years before James wrote verse 12, Jesus would say something similar:

Matthew 5:34-37 (NIV) 
34  But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 
35  or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 
36  And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 
37  Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

诗篇一百十九篇121-128节

2019-12-30 in /by

ע Ayin（第16段）

121我行过公平和公义，求祢不要撇下我给欺压我的人。
122求祢为仆人作保，使我得好处，不容骄傲人欺压我。
123我因盼望祢的救恩和祢公义的话，眼睛失明。
124求祢照祢的慈爱待仆人，将祢的律例教训我。
125我是祢的仆人，求祢赐我悟性，使我得知祢的法度。
126这是耶和华降罚的时候，因人废了祢的律法。
127所以我爱祢的命令胜于金子，更胜于精金。
128祢一切的训词，在万事上我都以为正直，我却恨恶一切假道。

今天是2019年的最后一天，在今天这段经文的开始是: 我行过公平和公义，求祢不要撇下我给欺压我的人。最后一句是：我却恨恶一切假道。这是不是我们今年的写照呢？

在119篇里，我们反反复复地读到作者对神的话之看重。在每一天的生活中，因为有神的话语在心中，他自觉比有智慧的人更通达。因为甚渴慕神的话，他的眼睛盼到失明；他求神赐下悟性，一再地祈求。

我们也都曾祈求悟性去明白神的话，希望从神的话中看到将来，得到指引。在过去的一年里，你可曾因为遵守神的话语而得到神的祝福？